' s rail center again . this renewed prosperity continued until the 1950s , when the automobile and interstate highway system became more popular than passenger rails . the decline of the railroad industry caused significant job losses , resulting in a population decline as workers left for other areas . during the american civil rights movement in the 1960s , meridian was home to a council of fed ##erated organizations ( co ##fo ) office and several other activist organizations . james chan ##ey and other local residents , along with michael sc ##h ##wer ##ner , his wife rita , and andrew goodman , volunteers from the north , worked to create a community center , holding classes to help prepare african americans in the area
' s rail center again. this renewed prosperity continued until the 1950s, when the automobile and interstate highway system became more popular than passenger rails. the decline of the railroad industry caused significant job losses, resulting in a population decline as workers left for other areas. during the american civil rights movement in the 1960s, meridian was home to a council of federated organizations ( cofo ) office and several other activist organizations. james chaney and other local residents, along with michael schwerner, his wife rita, and andrew goodman, volunteers from the north, worked to create a community center, holding classes to help prepare african americans in the area